Ellenson warms up for a game against Eau Claire North on Friday, December 20, 2013. (Photo courtesy Steve Kinderman/Eau Claire Leader-Telegram)

It was well below zero outside, but Henry Ellenson was comfy in shorts and baggy basketball sweats as he cruised the hallway at Rice Lake (Wis.) High School.

"The walk from the car to the school gets pretty tough in this cold, but once I get here, I'm good to go," the 6-foot-10, 235-pound junior said with a smile. "I wear jeans a little bit, but I really have to be in basketball attire most of the time. It's just who I am."

But what about wearing some University of Minnesota garb in support of his brother, Wally, a seldom-used sophomore on the Gophers basketball team, a school that has offered Henry a scholarship?

Nope, he said, adding, "I don't think that it's working in the Gophers' favor when (Wally) isn't getting any playing time."

The chilly answer has been a common one for the Gophers.

Each of Minnesota's "Big Three" basketball recruits -- Apple Valley's Tyus Jones, DeLaSalle's Reid Travis and former Robbinsdale Cooper standout Rashad Vaughn -- turned a cold shoulder to the Gophers. Jones has signed with Duke, and Travis with Stanford. Vaughn waited until Tuesday to choose Nevada-Las Vegas, but he long ago discounted Minnesota.

Rene Pulley, director of the Howard Pulley AAU program and Johnson's summer coach, said Gophers coach Richard Pitino and his staff can't be faulted for missing out on Jones, Travis or Vaughn, who already were deep into the recruiting process when Pitino arrived in Minnesota.

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"It was an almost impossible position they were put in when they were just hired and had little time to try and go after them," Pulley said. "Now that they're here, we've had a chance to see their style (of play), and that will be enticing to kids."

The current question is how enticing the Gophers are to Minnesota's next Big Three, headlined by Ellenson, who is ranked No. 42 nationally in the Class of 2015 by Rivals.com and already has 16 Division I offers.

Ellenson received his first Division I offer, from Georgetown, as a freshman. His first recruiting letter came from Indiana a year earlier. He has an offer from Minnesota and Big Ten rivals Indiana, Wisconsin, Purdue, Michigan State and Wisconsin.

His mother, Holly Ellenson, a physical education teacher at Rice Lake High School, said Marquette and Creighton are the two most-frequent visitors to the school's gym. Ellenson isn't as forthcoming.

"I keep my recruiting pretty much to myself," he said.

That can be difficult when it's often the first topic of conversation.

Illikainen takes a similar tack. "When people say I should go to the Gophers or go to this school or that school, I say, 'Yes, that might be good,' and just get quiet on them or change the subject," said the 6-foot-9 forward with 12 Division I offers.

Johnson, a 5-11 swing guard, is averaging 13.1 points and 3.5 rebounds for DeLaSalle, the top Class 3A team in Minnesota. He has 11 Division I offers.

"He's quick as a cat and can jump out of the gym," Pulley said of Johnson. "His skills and decision-making are incredible."

His biggest decision is looming.

Ellenson is averaging 24.5 points and 13 rebounds per game in leading the Warriors to a 13-2 record. Though a low-post player, he can face the basket and knock down mid-range jumpers and NBA-range three-pointers.

In a 70-67 loss to Tartan at the Breakdown Classic in early December, Ellenson scored a game-high 36 points and displayed his versatility during one sequence in the first half. After ripping down a defensive rebound with one hand, he dribbled through pressure with a behind-the-back move and one through his legs before completing the end-to-end run with a one-handed dunk.

"That was fun. It was me in a snapshot, I guess," he said.

"He's a handful," Tartan coach Mark Klingsporn said. "I thought he was a really good player going into our game with him. Coming out, I had an even higher opinion. At Tartan, we try to figure out what we can take away from an opponent. With him, you just hope to slow him down with all five of your guys."

Ellenson, who has another brother, Elwood, playing at Bemidji State, was a point guard until eighth grade.

"A lot of (college) coaches I've talked to are impressed by what I can do in the open court," he said. "I guess seeing a 6-10 guy going coast to coast gets them kind of excited."

Ellenson said he will take his five official visits in the fall.

"It's exciting to go to (schools) that want you," he said. "I'm looking for the best fit to play right away. I want to be the guy. I want to go to a school that sees me as a big factor in the team's plans for success."

Illikainen, averaging 26.2 points and 14.7 rebounds, took an unofficial visit to California two weekends ago.

"It was great. It was awesome," said Illikainen, who has a goal of leading the Thunderhawks to five consecutive state tournaments.

Illikainen said he doesn't need to be a college team's marquee player.

"I don't need to be the guy at all," he said. "I'm looking for great character with the team, guys who love the team and work together. I want to be with fun coaches, great coaches who want to work hard. I want the campus to be a great mix of academics and the college experience."

When Illikainen returned from California, Roseville assistant coach Tom Critchley -- his summer coach -- fielded phone calls from college scouts wanting to know if their schools were still in the running.

"It was crazy," Critchley said. "(Gophers assistant coach) Ben Johnson was one of those calls. Coaches wanted to know, 'Where do we stand?' and are they still in the picture. These coaches just love his skill set, his leadership and versatility."